The Rogue in War
by jlcleaumus
Summary: AUClone Wars: AP, ObiWan. Seven years after the events of The Rogue in Hiding, Anakin is called out of hiding to aid a deteriorating Republic.
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Rogue in War 

Author: jlcleamus

Time Frame: 12 years after TPM

Characters: A/P, Obi-Wan

Summary: 7 years after the events of The Rogue in Hiding, Anakin is called away from hiding to help a deteriorating Republic in the Clone Wars.

This story is a sequel to a previously completed story The Rogue in Hiding (link is in profile). I would impassionately recommend that you read that story first before reading this. However, if that is not your preference, please send me an email (link is in the profile as well) and I will send you a sypnosis of the first story.

* * *

The Rogue in War

Seven Years after the events of "The Rogue in Hiding"

Characters and their ages:

Anakin-21

Padme-26

Obi-Wan-37

Count Dooku-Really Old

Supreme Chancellor Palpatine-Even older

Yoda-Ancient

Qui-Gon Jinn-Still Dead

Mace Windu-Still Bald

Nute Gunray-Still Lacking a nose

R2D2-Still permanently deactivated

C3PO-Probably in a scrapheap somewhere

General Grevious: Recently developed a bad case of Droidikitis (Inflammation of Artificial Lungs)

Jar Jar Binks-Does anyone really even care?

* * *

Prologue

Padme slept peacefully in her husband's arms, her back cradled against his bare chest. As the soft rays of the sun began to creep into their small home and nudged the former Queen awake, Padme willed her eyes shut, as she did every morning, in order to savor every moment she had with her sleeping husband.

To her dismay the moment was all-too-short. Anakin began to move about restlessly in his sleep. Padme hoped that he was dreaming, preferably about her, but as the breath on her neck became more meticulous and labored, she knew that her husband was awake as well.

Perhaps if she pretended to still be asleep Anakin, fearful of waking his wife, would stay in bed awhile longer. Padme began to draw in deep, full breaths. Everyone few seconds she would try her best to fake a snore and them mumble some random gibberish, then gnaw on her pillow as if they were the lips of her husband.

It was to no avail. Padme felt the arms of her husband slipping away from her. Still, she continued her charade even as he rose from the bed. To her quiet delight, she felt his lips planting a soft kiss on her cheek.

"I love you," he whispered into her ear.

Padme grunted in response.

"And I know you are awake." And with that, Anakin crept motionlessly out of bed.

* * *

Their house stood humbly on the side of a mountain, and steps away from it was a quiet, soft meadow. Anakin sauntered slowly through the gentle plains until he reached the edge of the plateau, ending in a slow reclining ridge that stretched all the way down into the valley and the river below. Many times he and his wife had frolicked in the meadow, allowing themselves to forget entirely their pasts and the events that had brought them to this mostly unknown, though pleasant, corner of the Galaxy.

Anakin's mouth curled into a smile as he remembered the times they had frolicked too far and found themselves sliding down the hill into the river below. The water was never unreasonably cold, but that did not stop Padme from whining good-naturedly about her ruined dress, though both of them knew that Anakin certainly didn't mind seeing his wife in such a soaked state.

But even out here there were still reminders of the past. Anakin walked beyond the meadow and down towards the ridge and the brush that grew on the decline. He crouched near the ground and faced the six small graves that lay hidden behind the low bushes. Five for Padme; one for him. They were unmarked, and really, what was the point, if all of the graves were empty?

He heard the door of their house creak open, and somberly left the memorial site. The sight that greeted him as he walked towards his wife still managed to steal the breath away from him. Padme wandered towards him, her gown billowing gently in the morning breeze, her eyes, still not recovered from her rest, squinting unprepared at the morning sun, her hair, unkempt and strewn madly across her face, and her feet, unknowingly wearing mismatched sandals as they carried her towards him. In a word, Anakin thought, perfect.

She walked straight into his embrace. He was much taller now, towering over her as he easily cupped the top of her head under his chin. She sighed contentedly and stroked his golden hair, now with her encouragement, grown to the point where it reached his neck. Anakin withdrew from the embrace and stared into her deep brown eyes as he caressed her bare and shivering arms with his hands, trying to warm them for her.

"I love the way you look in the morning," he said softly. "You look…like a magnificent sunrise."

Even now she would still blush at such comments. Anakin bent his head down and split her lips with his.

"But your breath," he said after the kiss, "could use some work."

Padme's eyes grew wide and she slapped him playfully on the chest.

"And my husband has never had a case of morning breath before?"

Anakin grinned as he responded. "Oh, I would never claim that, my darling. But I do make a visit to the fresher every morning before stepping out of the house."

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her again, bad breath and all.

"Why are you up so early," she asked.

"I am going into town."

"To visit Sven?"

"Yes." Anakin's eyes grew distant. "I need to meditate with him. Things are changing, Padme."

"What do you mean?"

"There has always been a darkness in this galaxy. I have felt it often, even as far out as here. It is elusive, evading detecting, but it's been growing lately. In power, in frequency…in every aspect."

Padme eyed her husband fearfully.

"What do you think it means, Ani?"

"I don't know." He pointed at the skies, from which they came from. "I think there something happening out there. Unrest, pain, suffering. I must meditate on it."

"Go then. When will you be back?"

"Before lunch, hopefully. We can practice some of your saber techniques afterwards."

Padme's shoulders slumped.

"But I don't want to, Anakin," she whined childishly, mocking her husband's antics whenever she had chores for him to do. "I'll never be good at it."

"It's for your own protection, Padme. You don't have to be an expert swordsman. I don't expect you do take on a Jedi or anything. As long as you can wield it and hurt others without hurting yourself, I will feel much more assured."

"Fine." She let go of her husband, who started off towards their ship, but then turned back to look at her reluctantly.

"There's more, Padme. Obi-Wan is coming."

"Obi-Wan," Padme gasped, this time her reactions sincere. "How do you know?"

"I can still sense him. He is approaching, getting closer every moment."

"How does he know we are here?

"Perhaps he can still sense me as well."

For the first time in seven years since arriving at the planet, Padme felt uncomfortable.

"Why is he coming?"

"I do not know, but I sense no ill intent from him. I must go, Padme. If he arrives before I get back, humor him. You know how to reach me."

"I love you, Ani. Hurry back soon."

"I love you too, Angel. I'll try."

After watching her husband speed off into the valley, Padme hurried back to their house to ready for their incoming guest and, just to have a contingency plan, unpack and ready her blaster.


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry for the delay in updates. It's been a long time, but I've been busy as well as distracted for the past month. Hopefully I will be more persistent in updating this for the future though. As always, thank you for reading this, and I hope you enjoy.

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Chapter 2

Anakin piloted his ship through the fertile valley, hovering directly above the trees and the river below. Although he had taken this route many times in the last seven years, its scenery never ceased to amaze him. The entire planet was beautiful, full of magnificent snow-capped mountains and lush valleys similar to the one he was currently passing through. Their life here was relatively uneventful, giving the couple all the time in the world to explore this mostly uninhabited and wild paradise that was their home. The planet had no real name. For all of the few residents that dwelled on it, none save Anakin and Padme had ever lived anywhere else. For them, and for the planet's two newest residents, it was Home, and nothing else.

As the river below his speeder meandered out of the forest and into a comfortable grassy plain, Anakin slowed his vehicle down. Minutes later he was in the village. The houses that dotted the landscape were simple ones, all composed of the natural resources found on the planet, with none of the artificial, droid made durasteel that monopolized the construction of the Galactic Republic.

The few inhabitants of the planet were not ignorant about the rest of the Galaxy. They had fled the Republic a thousand years ago to escape the chaos and suffering of the Great Sith War. Though most of the refugees were human, they all originated from many different planets. It was a yearning for peace and solitude from the troubled tidings of the Republic that had brought them together, and they, like Anakin and Padme had seven years ago, looked to escape to the farthest corner of the unknown regions in the hopes that whatever forces, groups, or clans that sought power over the Galaxy would never find them.

The refugees had been successful in that aspect. No off-worlders had ever found their safe haven for an entire millennium, up until the day two humans fleeing Naboo had stumbled their way to the planet. They were viewed with open suspicion at first, but Padme's political ways served the two well. After engrossing herself into learning their ways, customs, and history, Padme assured them that they were of the same mind. Her and Anakin, like the ancestors of the planet's current native residents, were refugees running away from the shattered remains of their past and looking for a place to start over; a place where they would not be found or disturbed.

Anakin paced purposefully down the cobblestone street, greeting many of the other pedestrians with courtesy as he passed them by. The people were very friendly, but they were also very private, family oriented folk. Most, like Anakin and Padme had learned to do in their time there, farmed their own food. Those who were in need of any material thing went to one of the markets in the villages, where they bartered amongst each other for the supplies that they needed.

The local government was very informal. A rotating set of councilors appointed from each village served mainly as arbitrators whose primary purpose was to resolve disputes. Not that they were common at all. Though a thousand years had passed since the original inhabitants arrived, population growth rates had been minimal, and most of the planet still remained undeveloped. It was open range for everyone, and there was no need to claim a neighbor's possessions when one could easily find it unclaimed elsewhere on the planet.

Out of the original refugees of the planet, one had been a Jedi. He had engaged along with his fellow colleagues in the war against the Sith, though he never distinguished himself as a superb warrior. In the end, the Jedi decided that he valued his own family's safety over the state of the Galaxy, and discretely walked away from the Order and the known worlds.

Though it tended to skip several generations at a time, many of his descendants had been Force-sensitive. Some of them served for periods on the Central Council. Most of them were simply content to live with their families and serve as seers and village wise-men. It was one of these old Masters that Anakin sought to visit now. He finished his trot up a small slope and knocked on the door of the humble house that sat atop the hill. A wizened old man with a stubby white beard greeted him.

"Master Jollee," he said respectfully, "it has been too long."

The old man ushered him into the homestead invitingly and clasped his shoulder.

"Young Anakin. I am extremely grateful that you have chosen to visit me. But how many times do I have to tell you, drop the Master stuff."

"All right, Sven. Not a problem."

They found their way to Sven's meditation chamber, a small, unadorned room with plenty of seating if one chose to sat on the floor. Anakin waited for Sven to sit down before he followed him into his accustomed positions.

"So what brings you here, young Skywalker? I sense that something is amiss with you."

"It is the past that brings me here."

"A person," Master Jollee asked inquisitively.

"Yes."

"Someone who was close to you."

"Was," Anakin emphasized.

"Your old master then."

"You are too wise, Master Sven."

The old man laughed.

"Anakin, you hide your emotions like an open book. One does not need to be knowledged in the Force to know what's troubling you."

Both men shut their eyes as each entered a deep trance.

"Your Master is coming from a very dark place. I fear that he would taint our homeland with this darkness."

"What do you mean," Anakin asked.

"You are strong in the Force, young Skywalker, and your perceptions are second to none. Surely you have sensed the darkness that is suffocating the outside world, the entire Galaxy it seems, save for our own little refuge."

Anakin opened his eyes, his mind troubled by Sven's words because, as always, they were true.

"Yes. I too sense the darkness. It feels omnipotent, like it surrounds the entire Republic."

"It is troubling. Such a darkness has not been evident for a millennium now."

The old man got up and wandered slowly to the window, squinting his eyes at the mid-afternoon sun.

"Such is the nature of the Force. We enjoy the day, but must live through the night. These fluctuations of balance cannot be averted. But then, that is why we choose to hide here. So that we are sheltered when darkness overcomes the balance."

Sven looked back at Anakin, who shuddered as he observe for the first time what appeared to be fear emanating from the old man's eyes.

"Your old master's arrival could jeopardize everything that we have worked for in the last one thousand years."

Anakin sighed acceptingly.

"He has come for me, I am sure. I will go with him."

He stood up and warmly embraced Sven in a hug, shaking his hand afterward.

"I am extremely grateful to you and your brethren for the hospitality you have shown me for the last seven years. I will not allow the darker forces of the Galaxy to take away the peace of heart that you enjoy here, and that you have allowed me and my wife to enjoy. Padme and I will find another place to settle in."

They walked wordlessly together as the old man accompanied Anakin back to his speeder. Before Anakin departed the villa for the last time, Sven decided to offer his last piece of advice to the young man.

"Anakin, most of us hide because we can. We remain hidden because we are insignificant. I'm afraid that is not true in your case."

"What do you mean?"

"I know you would hesitate to agree with me, Anakin, but you cannot hide from the world forever. You are special, and you are destined to make a difference in this Galaxy. I know you love your wife very much, that you seek to keep her safe. Perhaps one day you will realize that the only way you can protect her is to take initiative and destroy the darkness that threatens us all."

Anakin listened the man's lecture silently. Part of him wanted to argue vehemently against it, as he would have against Obi-Wan all those years ago. But another part of him argued patience. He sensed that Sven had wanted to tell him this for a long time now, but had held back his words because he did not wish to upset him.

"We will see," Anakin replied after Sven had finished. He then ignited his speeder to race home back to his wife.

* * *

The beautiful blond-haired Jedi eyed her quarters anxiously. She wanted to run away, to break down the walls that confined her and fly to some faraway place where no one would bother or question her. But then, at this moment, as she patted her swollen belly, she wanted, no craved, food, preferably the sugary, creamy kind.

Almost as if on cue, the doors to her room opened up, and Master Yoda made his way in carrying a bowl of his detestable bitterroot soup. Forgetting all pretenses of politeness and protocol, Siri Tachi grabbed it from the Jedi Master and drank it all in one gulp. Then, without any premeditated warning, she angrily hurled the empty bowl at the wall, shattering it into thousands of pieces.

Yoda watched this display with composed agony, and he did not raise his voice as he chided the Siri.

"Dangerously unbalanced, your heart is. Such is why the Order does not encourage its female Knights to become pregnant."

Siri avoided eye contact with the tiny Master; instead she chose to stare unflinchingly at the shards of what used to be a soup bowl.

"I am finished with my meal, Master Yoda. You may leave now."

Yoda sighed dejectedly, though he was used to this sequence of events by now. Though he knew the answer, or rather, the lack of one he would receive, he still asked the question.

"Who is the father, Master Tachi?"

"I told you," Siri recited, "a rogue smuggler I met after the Battle of Kuat."

"Fool the Council, your words do not. Know, we do, that the father of your child is a fellow Jedi. Sense, we can, your unborn child's connectivity with the Force."

As it was everyday with their interrogations, Siri kept her mouth shut once the allegations were out in the open. More rigorous though, was restraining the temptation to physically strike out at the diminutive Master.

"Leave, I will for now," Yoda relented after several minutes of silence had passed. "Hide the truth forever from us, you cannot."


	3. Chapter 3

As usual, sorry for the delay. This is a short chapter, but I felt it had a nice break to it. The next one will be posted very soon, hopefully, and yes, it will feature the return of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Thank you in advance, of course, to everyone who has and will take valuable time out of their lives to read this story. I sincerely appreciate your interest.

* * *

Chapter 3

For now, he ignored the gnawing feeling in the deepest pits of his heart; instead, Anakin strove to enjoy the simple pleasures of the hard breeze blowing across his face and the magnificent vistas of the planet speeding by him as he raced back home. Such pleasures, he knew would soon become distant memories.

Anakin had already made up his mind. He would not introduce the unmitigated pain and suffering of the Galaxy to a planet that hat given him and his wife so much peace.

And what of his wife? Like him, Padme had been dealt many traumatic blows in the weeks before their arrival here. The seven years spent here have truly been rehabilitating to her mindset, but was she really strong enough leave their sanctuary and return to a world that will remind her every constant moment what it took away from her?

Anakin still did not have a clue as to his former Master's intentions and purposes for visiting, but it did not matter to him. Even if it was purely a social visit, the very basic fact that someone other than him had been able to discover this planet meant that it was in potential jeopardy. And Anakin knew that he would do anything to save this beloved haven, even if it meant leaving it.

He gazed ahead into the sky. It was disorienting to him sometimes to have been on the same planet for so long. Sometimes it was easy to forget that there was the entire rest of the world out there beyond the horizon, a Galaxy that seemed to emanate darker and darker by the day. Even without the haunting specter of his past, Anakin shuddered at the thought of having to return to such a foreboding place. Perhaps after this was all over, he and Padme would be able to again find a new home for themselves, away from the troubles of the civilized world. It frustrated him to some degree that his meditations offered him no new insight on what was in store for them. The future was as dark as a bright sunny day and as cloudy as the clear night sky.

_Ani_, a soft voiced called to him inside his head. _Where are you?_

_Almost home, Angel. _He spoke back to her through the bond that they had developed in their years together, a bond that allowed them to share completely with one another their thoughts and feelings. _Are you getting worried?_

_Not worried, necessarily. Just a little jumpy, I guess. I hate having to wait by myself._

_Padme… _Anakin hesitated, wondering whether or not this was the right context to broach the subject to his wife. To his simultaneous horror and relief, she immediately picked up on what was troubling him.

_We have to leave, don't we? Because of Obi-Wan._

_Yes, Angel. I'm so sorry, but the fact that Obi-Wan can find this place means that others can too. And the only reason they would want to look would be to find us._

It was at this moment that his speeder pulled up to their house. Padme, sensing that he was home, ran outside immediately to meet her husband in a desperate hug.

"Promise me," she pleaded as she rested her head on his shoulder, sobbing gently. "I don't care that we have to leave…but just promise me that we won't go back to Naboo."

"I promise, Padme." In his heart, he made a vow never to return to his own native planet of Tatooine as well.

She sniffled and pulled her head up to look her husband in the eye.

"Is Obi-Wan almost here? Can you still feel him?"

"Yes."

"When will he arrive?"

"I don't know. The Force is very cloudy, very elusive. All I know is that he will be here soon."

"Let's forget the saber practice, then. I want to just enjoy my last day here, with my husband."

"Whatever you wish, Padme."

* * *

They spent the day with a quick hike up the mountain behind their home, following a small creek until they came upon a pristine alpine lake at the foot of a majestic, rocky peak. Out of all the places they had seen on the planet, this lake was Padme's favorite, for its clear blue waters reflected the exact sight she saw when she gazed into her husband's eyes. They picnicked in the meadow for lunch and exercised by chasing each other through the nearby woods.

Tired and sweaty from the workout, the couple swam and bathed themselves in the lake. As it always was with their visits, the day ended with Anakin and Padme racing through the waters, seeing who could best the other in speed. Though it was Padme who had to teach Anakin how to swim when they first arrived, the gifted former Jedi had quickly caught on to the skill and always threw the race so that his wife would savor the triumph, however false, of winning.

The lake was normally as gentle and still as the planet itself, but today a strong wind blew across the mountains and ran waves through the surface of the water. As they got dressed and headed back to the house, Padme took one last longing look at her favorite spot, knowing that she would never see it again. Then, with an act of determined resolve, she cut herself loose from all the pleasant memories of the place and readied herself for her still uncertain future.

It was after they ate dinner that they heard the foreign sounds of a spaceship landing. The couple calmly walked outside, hand holding hand, to meet their guest.


	4. Chapter 4

Here is the next chapter. I promised you it was going to be quick! Hope you enjoy, as the action and the storyline is about to pick up somewhat.

* * *

Chapter 4

"So you found me, Obi-Wan. Does that give you any sense of accomplishment?"

The weary Jedi Master looked down upon the young man and his wife, standing their ground and staring defiantly at him. He could tell that one hand of Skywalker was gripping the hilt of his lightsaber, while the fingers of his wife were thrust deep in her pocket, around what appeared to the outline of a blaster. He was not surprised at their apprehension; it was the fact that they expected his arrival and had been awaiting him so meticulously that caught him off guard.

"It has been a long time," he said as he glided off the ramp leading down from his ship. "Anakin…"

"You tried to kill me, the last time we met." Neither husband nor wife moved a muscle.

"I never wanted to kill you, Anakin, or Padme…"

"My wife," Anakin interrupted.

"…that situation…," Obi-Wan sighed regretfully, "became one that took over all of us, and made…myself at least, someone I did not want to be. Someone that I am not proud of."

"What are you saying then?"

"Understand me, Anakin, I am not condoning your actions all those years ago, nor those of your wife. But for what it's worth, I apologize, on behalf of myself and the Jedi Order, to the both of you. Our actions and our…reactions proved to be extreme, and the much of the more severe charges against you proved to be unwarranted."

Though his glare remained unchanged, Anakin's shoulders seemed to loosen up a bit. Seeing the severity of his stance diminished, Padme followed her husband's lead and allowed herself to relax, though she was still wary of every move the Jedi Master made.

"Well, old Master, you sure have a way of talking yourself out of things."

"They do call me 'The Negotiator' these days, Anakin."

"I'm sure you have a story to go with that, Obi-Wan."

"Thousands of them, it seems. Maybe one day you'll hear some of them."

"Maybe."

Almost inadvertently Anakin gave his former Master a quick bow, which Obi-Wan returned. Pleased by this more amicable turn of events, Obi-Wan took his first tentative steps towards the couple.

"If you are hungry, Padme and I made more than enough dinner for just the two of us. We have just ate, but the leftovers are still warm."

"I would be honored by your hospitality," Obi-Wan replied, truly grateful, and followed the Skywalkers into their small abode.

Throughout this time Padme had yet to speak a word, though she never took a cautious eye off of Obi-Wan. The last time she had seen him, he was trying to take her Anakin away from her, forever, right in the midst of her darkest hour. Though the Jedi had been nothing but courteous since arriving and the fact that even Anakin seemed satisfied for now to ignore their bygones, Padme still did not completely trust the man. However, as they led him into their house, a remnant of her diplomatic past urged her not to forget the proper niceties of having a guest in her home.

"Please," she motioned him towards their couch, "make yourself at home."

"Thank you, milady."

Anakin had gone into the kitchen to fetch the leftovers, and as Obi-Wan watched Padme take a seat in a chair to his side, he couldn't help but notice the awkwardness that hung between him.

"I am delighted to hear about your marriage to Anakin, milady. How long ago did this happen?"

"Several years ago," she stated abruptly, all the while eyeing the kitchen and hoping that her husband would come back as quickly as possible.

"I'm truly happy for the two of you, Padme."

"We are very happy together, Master Kenobi."

She nervously adjusted her dress, all-the-while cursing herself for not joining her husband in the kitchen. Padme did not know what to say to this man. Despite all that had happened seven years ago, Obi-Wan and Anakin still had between them the remnants of a close bond developed between a Master and a Padawan, between a father and a son, and between friends. She had none of that in common with him. Even during the occupation crisis, it was the other Jedi, Qui-Gon, that she got to know. Obi-Wan had barely said a word to her during the entire ordeal.

"Why have you come, Master Kenobi?"

Before he could respond, he noticed that Anakin stood by the doorway too, awaiting his answer.

"To be honest with the both of you, I really don't know."

"How is that possible," Anakin asked as he set down a tray of roasted meat on the table in front of Obi-Wan and then sat down next to Padme. "My all-knowing Master wandering absentmindedly into the farthest reaches of the Galaxy."

"Believe me, Anakin, I am not as wise as you think I am. Did you know," he asked the couple, "that upon my return after facing you, the Council granted me the seat left absent by Master Ki-Adi Mundi."

"I would not have expected that. After all, your conduct that day did not appear get the results the Jedi wanted."

"I do not disagree, Anakin. But Master Yoda commended me on my ability to let go of my attachment to you, thus demonstrating my wisdom and my dedication to serving the Order."

"But you do not believe that," Padme remarked. Her words definitely caught the Jedi off-guard, and for a moment he wondered if it was possible that the woman herself was also Force sensitive. But then, he remembered that she had been a great politician in her day, and still wielded the skill to read the sentiments of other people.

"No, I don't. I felt like a fraud that day, and that feeling still…resurfaces every once in a while."

Padme continued her interrogation: "So why do _you_ think they appointed you to the Council."

"I can only surmise, milady. The Council does not take your husband lightly, I'm afraid, and still has not given up the hopes of one day 'reclaiming' him, so to speak, for the Order. Despite all that has transpired, they still feel that I am their closest link to Anakin, and by keeping me happy, that one day, I would lead them to their Chosen One."

Padme noticed Anakin visibly flinch at the mention of his prophetic background.

"And that is exactly what you have just done, isn't it? Now that you know where he is, the Jedi will soon following your footsteps and take my Anakin away from me."

"No," Obi-Wan protested. "I assure you, milady, that whatever happens will happen according to your own free will, and whatever decisions you and your husband decide on. My official statement to the Council was that I would be looking for you and trying to convince you to come back to Coruscant. However, I made them promise that they would make no attempt to track me, and that if you and Anakin wish to remain in hiding, that the Council will respect your wishes."

"Why now? After seven years, what makes the Council so anxious to get me back on Coruscant."

"Anakin, have you heard anything about the known Galaxy lately?"

He shook his head.

"No. This planet is the only Galaxy we have known for awhile now." Which was partly the truth. He hadn't heard anything about the rest of the world, but he sure as hell felt it.

"Anakin, the Republic is divided, and in turmoil. There is a Civil War going on right now. They are calling it 'The Clone Wars'."

Anakin was not the least bit surprised over the revelation, though it certainly got his wife's attention.

"How is that possible," she asked. "The Republic has stood for the last one thousand years. How could the Jedi let it be split into two?"

"No one knows, really. The Confederacy of Independent Systems formed out of allegations of corruption in the Republic. They are led by a former Jedi, Dooku, whom we suspect is now a Dark Lord of the Sith. He made an unholy treaty with Viceroy Nute Gunray of the Trade Federation as well as the leaders of the Banking Clan, Techno Union, and various other conglomerates. Together they ignored Chancellor Palpatine's pleas for peace and negotiations, instead creating a vast droid army and luring thousands of star systems into their lies."

The news hit the couple with different reactions. While Anakin recalled vaguely the nephew of the Dooku, with whom he had shared drinks and laughs with at a Royal Ball in Naboo moments before the assassination attempt on Queen Amidala that started it all, Padme's eyes burned with rage.

"That treacherous scum Gunray. I hate the Neimoidians. Why have you not captured and killed that traitor yet?"

Though he was slightly shocked by the gentle lady's venom, Obi-Wan remembered the glimpses of darkness he had sensed in her back on Naboo and chose his words carefully.

"Believe me, milady, we have tried our hardest to apprehend the Viceroy, but Count Dooku and his lackey General Grievous are brutal and effective leaders in their own right. The forces of the Republic have yet to come close to Separatist leadership."

"They are filthy aliens, and should all be slaughtered, every single one of them."

In an effort to divert the attention away from his wife's crude remarks, Anakin went back to the original subject.

"So why do they call it the Clone Wars?"

"Because the Army of the Republic is a Clone Army."

Both Anakin and Padme were shocked with that statement.

"How is that possible," Padme asked. "Since when does the Republic endorse cloning at all?"

"It was a subject of much debate in the Senate in the stalemate before the war occurred. Many warmongers wanted to create an army to defend the Republic from any Separatist attacks, while others felt that the creation of the army would lead to a war that would not occur otherwise. The debate raged on without a conclusion. At the time, I was investigating," Obi-Wan's face paled, and he hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I was investigating the kidnapping of a Padawan when I stumbled across the cloner planet of Kamino."

"So you commissioned this army," Anakin asked, slightly in awe of his old Master's adventures, "without the permission of the Senate?"

"No, my friend. The army had been commissioned ten years before, under the direction of a Master Sifo-Dyas, who, if you remembered, died years before that. The Kaminoan's claimed the army was created and bred for the sole purpose of serving the Republic."

"It sounds mighty suspicious," voiced Padme. "Did the Senate form a committee to investigate this matter?"

"They never got a chance. Moments after the discovery of the clone army, Master Windu and his Padawan discovered a vast Separatist droid army on the planet of Genoesis. Unfortunately, he was captured by Dooku right after he revealed the news to the Council. The Jedi sent a team, including myself to rescue him, but we were vastly outnumbered by the droids. Fortunately, the news of the droid army had quickly reached the Senate, who approved emergency powers for Chancellor Palpatine. The clone army was approved without any debate, and Master Yoda led the army to save us just before our entire force was annihilated."

"So there is a war going on," Anakin stated. "What does this have to do with me?"

"It's completely up to you, Anakin," Obi-Wan replied, aware of the rising hostility in the young man. "I told the Council I came to retrieve you, but that was more of an excuse than anything else."

"An excuse for what?"

The Jedi Master sighed and looked away. Anakin could tell he was hiding something, but then, Obi-Wan was under no obligation to tell him any his secrets. Much had changed in the man since Anakin had last set eyes upon him, and it was entirely possible that the man he had once called Master might not exist anymore.

"I wanted to get away," Obi-Wan finally admitted. "The war…is so tiresome. It wears you down physically, but it also wears down your soul. And it makes you find so much more value in the blessing of friendship."

"Because of the exhaustion," Anakin asked naively.

"No. Because so many of your good friends die every single day."

* * *

Two armed officers accompanied the lone man through the elegant corridors of the basement, towards the office that housed the Center of Alderaanian Intelligence. In normal circumstances even the mere thought of weapons were absolutely foreign to the residents of this peaceful planet, not to mention a full scale espionage agency, but much has changed on the since the inception of the Clone Wars.

Even when the first seeds of the Civil War were taking root, Senator Bail Organa had urged the planet to advocate a stance of nominal support towards the Republic while remaining militarily neutral. However, with the assassination of the beloved Senator less than two years ago, more hawkish approaches to diplomacy began take shape, and eventually power, on the planet.

Darin Lupes was escorted to a small windowless office four floors behind the ground. Under the ever watchful eyes of the armed bodyguards, the intelligence agent began his interrogation.

"Lord Darin Lupes," Gareth Antilles read off the datapad, "from the Separatist planet of Naboo, intercepted in Alderaanian airspace yesterday at 0323 Standard hours, claiming to be seeking asylum."

"Yes sir."

"According to my data, you used to be…to put it bluntly, a crime boss. In fact, your organization, Crimson Lake, was responsible for 73 of all illegal trafficking to and from the Planet of Naboo prior to the Trade Federation Treaty. Am I trying to be misleading with these allegations?"

"No sir. But you will notice that Crimson Lake today is a completely legal enterprise, and all of our businesses is well sanctioned by the Constitution of the CIS and of Naboo."

"Yes, legal after the Trade Federation and your new King changed the constitution. You seemed to have benefited from the disposal of Queen Amidala, who, needless to say, was a very staunch ally of our planet during her reign."

"Yes, yes, all that you say is true," Lupes acknowledged. He wonder how much more the spy knew about him, especially his role in the conspiracy seven years ago to assassinate the young Queen.

"However," Darin asserted, "I come before you today concerned not about the past, but about the present, and the future."

"Why have you come," Gareth asked, a glint of skepticism in his eye.

"Because I am a man of conscience," Darin replied, doing his best to look the agent straight in the eye. "Because I am having my doubts over the moral authority of the Separatist Confederacy."

"According to my documents, the droid and weaponry factories built on Naboo from your organization's pockets and authority account for over 28.5 percent of all Separatist arms."

"Again, Agent Antilles, you speak the truth. And yet, it is because of these very factories I own that I tell you today, the Republic is in grave danger."

"How is that?"

"Well, stated simply," said Darin, "we are producing a weapon that will guarantee the destruction of the Clone Army, and the final and complete victory of the Confederacy of Independent Systems."


	5. Chapter 5

Here's chapter five. As always, thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read and who has taken the time to review this story. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 5

She rubbed her swollen belly again and again, trying to forge some kind of connection with her baby. Master Yoda was right: the Force was strong inside her. Much too strong so that probability dictated against the possibility that Siri was the only Force-sensitive parent responsible for conceiving it. And yet, she remained resolute in her lie, hoping that in time she could wear the Council down.

It surprised her the amount of attention that was paid to her unborn child. With all that was going on around her, Siri had hoped that the Council would let the issue pass by the wayside, and perhaps not even discover or acknowledge it. It still baffled her mind even in the midst of the war she still received visits from at least two or three Council members daily, questioning and interrogating her about the child. Perhaps this irrevocable attention to such petty matters was why the Jedi were losing the war.

Maybe she could leave the Order. She imagined being able to raise her child in peace, and in solitude. Maybe Obi-Wan could join her, and they could be a family together. Siri laughed. She doubted that Obi-Wan Kenobi, a member of the Jedi Council, would ever choose to leave the Order. Even if he gave up his relentless pursuit of being the greatest and most perfect Jedi in the Galaxy, Obi-Wan still had much more to lose than her simply because of his position.

And did she even want a family? Siri admitted that she enjoyed the rush of being a warrior. The job of a Jedi was a very enjoyable one if it weren't for all the bureaucracy and the rules. She imagined the prospect of never again being able to wield a lightsaber for the rest of her life, and shuddered at such a bleak thought. No, she decided, she could never abandon her true purpose in life.

Maybe it'll all blow over soon. She'll stay with her story, and maybe one day even Master Yoda would give up. She'd be allowed back into the anonymity of the Jedi and her missions. Perhaps one day she'd even be allowed to train her own child as her Padawan. Obi-Wan would like that. Siri allowed herself to drift to sleep on such a comforting thought, but a chilling voice echoed in her soul and interrupted her slumber.

_What makes you think they would let you keep the child?_

_What else would they do with it_, she wondered.

_They will take her away from you, purge her of all her memories of her true mother. They will do all that they can to keep her as far away as possible._

_How do you know of such things_, she questioned the strange voice.

_I know of the true heartless nature of the Jedi. Come to me, my dear Siri, and I will allow you to fulfill your true destiny…as a mother._

She still didn't know where the voice was coming from or whom it belonged to. Trying to purge it from her mind, Siri forced her eyes shut and recited numbers to herself again and again.

* * *

For a novice star-gazer, a first night spent on the edge of the Unknown Territories is an awesome sight. One does not see the usual panoply of stars scattered across the sky from one horizon to another; instead, the lucky observer sees all the stars concentrated together in complex spirals and weaves in the midst of the dark vacuum of space, giving him or her, literally, a bird's eye view of the galaxy. Obi-Wan gasped when his eyes first glanced upon this amazing phenomenon. It was something any intelligent Jedi Master could have figured out through simple combination of common sense and wits, but for some reason it escaped his intellect until it was blatantly presented in front of him.

"Does it feel different out here?"

Obi-Wan jumped at hearing the voice of his old Padawan. His senses had been so lost in the sight that the tiniest and most ordinary of stimuli proved to be a shock on his system.

"Maybe. I was just observing…"

"…the stars. I know. Padme and I were quite taken by this," Anakin motioned at the sky with his hands, "when we first arrived here."

"Hard to believe it's been seven years," Padme added, and Obi-Wan again was surprised, this time, by the fact that he did not notice the presence of Anakin's wife outside with him.

Anakin walked over beside her and wrapped his arm around Padme's petite form.

"The best seven years of my life, my darling."

He said this to his wife, but Anakin's attention was focused on Obi-Wan, on how much he had changed in the years gone by. The Jedi Master looked the same physically, save for a shorter crop of hair with edges of gray and a more neatly trimmed beard. Anakin could sense something different in the man though, something that escaped observation from just the naked eye.

"I feel more relaxed here," Obi-Wan spoke quietly, almost to himself. "I feel more…free than I have felt in a long time."

Anakin led himself and Padme closer to the Jedi, whose back was still turned slightly away from the couple and whose eyes never strayed from the sky.

"Do you feel lighter here?" Maybe it was his eyes, Anakin thought. They looked like they had seen much in the last seven years: conflict, pain, suffering, loss…and perhaps even love?

"Exactly," Obi-Wan exclaimed, amazed that the young man seemed to know his feelings even better than he himself. "I feel…my shoulders feel lighter here, and…I feel like I can breathe…clearer, fresher than I have in a long while."

So that was it, Anakin realized. The way Obi-Wan breathed now sounded more like random stochastic spasms as opposed to a single calm and fluid motion, the rough contractions in his lungs signaling that perhaps the man was so frail that he could collapse onto the ground at any given moment and never wake again.

"I know," Anakin replied simply, not wanting to betray his new revelation. "I know the night sky looks different from here, Obi-Wan, but I want to ask you, what do you _feel_ when you look up at the stars?"

Obi-Wan acknowledged the question and closed his eyes, allowing the Force to clear and shape his perceptions.

"Relief," Obi-Wan replied after a long wait. "I'm not sure if that's clear enough, but…"

"It's perfect," Anakin assured, a slight smile on his face hiding the fact that his worst fears, the result of the keenness of his own perceptions, had been realized.

"Obi-Wan," he continued, "when I look at the sky I see the stars, the galaxy, for what it is, but I feel that it is surrounded, or submerged, in an…impenetrable cloud of darkness. For someone who has been trapped in such a cloud for so long, I imagine that it must be very different to leave the cloud for the first time…and to actually observe the cloud from the outside."

It took his old Master a long time before he responded.

"Your words resonate with truth and clarity, young Skywalker. I think that I will meditate on this."

"Meditate sooner rather than later, Obi-Wan." His words were strong, but as apprehensive as Obi-Wan felt, he sensed no malice in them.

"Padme and I have made our decision," Anakin continued. "We will leave with you tomorrow."

_…back into the darkness_ was left unsaid, though everyone knew well enough the inference.

* * *

They lay comfortably in their bed, but neither husband nor wife slept as they were both deep within their own thoughts and meditations.

"Anakin," Padme whispered softly.

"What is it?"

Padme looked back at her husband and gripped hard the strong hands around her stomach that embraced her close to him.

"Have you thought about, maybe, having a child?"

"Sometimes."

"Do you want one?"

"Yes, I do. Nothing could be better than creating a life with you, Padme, to love together, as a family. But…"

He hesitated.

"But what?"

"Now does not appear to be the best time to bring a life into the world, with the Sith, and the war, and the darkness everywhere."

They were silent again for awhile.

"It'd be something to work for," Padme decided finally. "Our child will give us hope, Anakin, that we will make it through the hard times. And it will give us the resolve to make the galaxy one where we would want to raise our child in."

Anakin cuddled close to his wife's neck and kissed it softly.

"You are right," he whispered into her ear afterwards. "I will not deny you anything."

He pushed his body closer to Padme's, minimizing the distance between the two lovers. Anakin's lips found their way to Padme's as he drew her into a deep kiss.

"Now, Ani?"

"Yes, Padme. This is our last night here. I do not wish for our child to be conceived in darkness."

"So be it," she whispered in a raspy voice, barely able to sound the words out.


End file.
